U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

 Fact Sheet cops.usdoj.gov

FY 2022 COPS Hiring Program School 

Resource Officer Mandatory Training 

Overview

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

(COPS Office) is committed to ensuring student success 

in supportive, safe environments by providing a variety of 

resources, technical assistance, and training. The fiscal year 

(FY) 2022 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) includes awards 

for agencies to deploy school resource officers (SRO) to 

school districts across the country. 

To ensure COPS Office–funded SROs have the resources 

and knowledge necessary for their position, the COPS 

Office mandates that all officers funded by FY 2022 CHP 

awards complete the SRO basic training course conducted 

by the National Association of School Resource Officers 

(NASRO). To support this requirement, the COPS Office 

will pay the training fee directly to NASRO and NASRO 

will reimburse allowable travel costs up to $1,000 per CHPfunded SRO to the law enforcement agency. For additional 

information about NASRO training, visit their website at 

https://www.nasro.org. 

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Award Condition

COPS Office–funded SRO(s) are required to complete a basic 40-hour SRO training course from the COPS Office–

approved provider, the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). Training must be completed 

no later than nine months after the date shown on the award congratulatory letter or six months from the SRO 

hire date, whichever comes first. If a COPS Office–funded SRO leaves the recipient agency after completing the 

training, the recipient agrees to pay for the new SRO who is assigned to backfill this position to attend a 40-hour 

basic training course. The new SRO must complete the training no later than nine months after being placed in 

the school. If the officer has completed 40-hour basic training within the 12 months prior to the award date, the 

condition has been fulfilled. Any longer than 12 months will require the officer to retake the course. The agency 

must coordinate with the training provider if they want funds to cover registration and travel costs.

October 2022

How to Receive Funding

All agencies funding SROs through a FY 2022 CHP award 

will receive information about the SRO training require

ment in their award terms and conditions, as well as in the 

CHP Award Owner’s Manual (AOM). The COPS Office 

also requires that law enforcement agencies and schools 

first develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to 

clearly document the roles, responsibilities, and expectations 

of the individuals and partners involved, including SROs, 

school officials, law enforcement, education departments, 

students, families, and social service agencies. The MOU 

must be submitted within 90 days of the date shown on the 

award congratulatory letter. The CHP MOU Fact Sheet 

describing the contents of this MOU can be found on the 

COPS Office website at https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp.

After an SRO is selected for the COPS Office–funded posi

tion, the agency should contact the NASRO office (888-31-

NASRO) and request to speak with the COPS Office grant 

coordinator about scheduling officer training. The agency 

will use GSA per diem rates to determine travel expenses 

and reimbursement standards. Information can be found 

at the GSA website (https://www.gsa.gov/perdiem). All 
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2022 COPS Hiring Program School Resource Officer Mandatory Training

costs must be reasonable and fiscally responsible. NASRO 

staff can provide assistance in determining travel expenses, 

including transporation, hotel, and M&IE for each officer. 

After the course is successfully completed, the agency must 

submit itemized expenses to NASRO for reimbursement 

within 30 days and retain the documentation for three 

years. The SRO or agency representative should email a 

copy of the NASRO Basic School Resource Officer Course 

certificate to the agency CHP Program Manager and 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov.

If the COPS Office–funded SRO previously completed a 

basic SRO course within the last 12 months, the recipient 

should contact the COPS Office Response Center by phone 

at 800-421-6770 or by email at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov and 

provide the location and date of the training, so that the 

COPS Office can determine if the training requirement has 

been satisfied.

About School Resource Officers

An SRO is a career law enforcement officer assigned in a 

community policing capacity to work in collaboration with 

schools and community-based organizations to

	address crime and disorder problems, gangs, and drug 

activities affecting or occurring in or around an elementary or secondary school;

	develop or expand crime prevention efforts for students;

	educate likely school-age victims in crime prevention 

and safety;

	develop or expand community justice initiatives for 

students;

	train students in conflict resolution, restorative justice, 

and crime awareness;

	assist in the identification of physical changes in the 

environment that may reduce crime in or around the 

school;

	assist in developing school policy that addresses crime 

and to recommend procedural changes.

Additional Information

Supporting safe schools

The COPS Office is committed to supporting safe schools—

places where students can learn and teachers can 

educate—by providing a variety of resources, including 

award funds, to help deploy SROs. 

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/supportingsafeschools

An Introduction to SRO Programs

An interactive online course that provides an overview 

of the benefits, challenges, and best practices of SRO 

programs in our nation's schools. The National Association 

of School Resource Officers (NASRO) developed the course 

based on more than 20 years of experience in SRO training. 

https://copstrainingportal.org/project/anintroduction-to-sro-programs

Readiness and Emergency Management (REMS 

TA) for Schools Center

Technical assistance hub that provides information, 

resources, training, and services in the field to law 

enforcement and schools.

https://rems.ed.gov/

National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)

NTAC provides guidance, resources, training, and 

information sharing on threat assessments to law 

enforcement, public safety, and academic partners. 

Includes the 2019 Protecting America's Schools publication. 

https://www.secretservice.gov/protection/ntac/

Youth.gov

Youth.gov provides information from 19 federal agencies to 

create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs.

http://youth.gov/

Contact the COPS Office

For more information about CHP, please 

call the COPS Office Response Center at 

800-421-6770 or visit the COPS Office website at https://cops.usdoj.gov.

October 2022